Psychologist

Talking to Your Kids About the School Shooting

I got so teary this morning watching the coverage of the school shooting in Ohio. Sad for the victims, sad for the survivors, sad for the families, and sad for the gunman and his family. It is tough to make sense of such violence, and tough too not to fear for the safety of the children in our own lives. I wonder what it would be like to be a kid watching the news about such events as the shooting in Ohio? While I felt the shock and grief over the shootings at Columbine High School (not far from where I was in graduate school at the time), I wasn’t a child. Would my feelings have been different if I had been 8 or 12 or 16, knowing that the place I spent 7 hours each day could come under a similar attack? Do kids these days (post-Columbine, post-911) feel safe at school like I did decades ago, or is that sort of security a thing of the past?

The American Psychological Association (APA) has posted some great tips on talking to your kids about these sorts of topics. It can feel intimidating to talk about such things, but it is well worth the effort. Kids almost always have thoughts about the events going on around them, and frequently have more insight, ideas, and solutions than we might guess.

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Welcome! I am a psychologist in Erie, Colorado. On this site you will find information about my clinical psychology practice (yes, I am accepting new patients) as well as my blog. I write articles about psychotherapy, technology, stress management, cooking, pop culture and parenthood - - pretty much anything I can think of, all with a mental health twist!

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Please note that the information in this blog is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for psychological or medical care. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 9-1-1.